Platinum side Burner delete and shelf repair
- Thread starter Samuel
- Start date
Bruce
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
Samuel, it looks like that drip pan bracket under the cook box is in need of some tightening and straightening out. Good luck on the conversion.
If those SS bolts are for the "dropsies" fix, they may not work too well. They are not self tapping and will be tough to get to bite into the metal. Plus, you would probably want to use a "slightly" smaller drill bit as the 1/4" bit might make the hole too lose for the bolts to have anything to grab on to. Rather than finding SS self tapping bolts, you could use what you have and simply tap the holes with a machinist tap. You can get them online (amazon) or probably at most HW stores, like HD, ACE, Menards, etc. Sometimes they come with the correct size drill bit for the tap as well as it needs to be slightly smaller than the bolt size. Just like if using a self tapping bolt.
Do you have access to a welder or know someone that does? It would be a lot easier to simply weld them on.
If those SS bolts are for the "dropsies" fix, they may not work too well. They are not self tapping and will be tough to get to bite into the metal. Plus, you would probably want to use a "slightly" smaller drill bit as the 1/4" bit might make the hole too lose for the bolts to have anything to grab on to. Rather than finding SS self tapping bolts, you could use what you have and simply tap the holes with a machinist tap. You can get them online (amazon) or probably at most HW stores, like HD, ACE, Menards, etc. Sometimes they come with the correct size drill bit for the tap as well as it needs to be slightly smaller than the bolt size. Just like if using a self tapping bolt.
Do you have access to a welder or know someone that does? It would be a lot easier to simply weld them on.
Last edited:
Samuel
TVWBB Wizard
Yes those bolts did not work. They did not bite at all. They slid in and you could pull them right out. I did not do that great a job in drilling the holes for it still has some drop. Here is a before and after. The shelf is actually the one from the left side. As you all know I am still trying to source and extra right shelf.
Last edited:
Joe Anshien
TVWBB Platinum Member
Nice - I believe Bruce has a thread on fixing the droopy shelves on the Platinum.
Bruce
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
Joe: I think I have explained it a couple times, but not in a dedicated thread.
Samuel: You can buy a slightly larger bolt. Maybe there is a metric bolt that is just a touch bigger than the 1/4". If I got my conversions correct, I think a 7mm SS bolt might be the ticket. But at least, now you dont have to worry about the whole shelf falling off.
Samuel: You can buy a slightly larger bolt. Maybe there is a metric bolt that is just a touch bigger than the 1/4". If I got my conversions correct, I think a 7mm SS bolt might be the ticket. But at least, now you dont have to worry about the whole shelf falling off.
Last edited:
Steve Hoch
TVWBB Diamond Member
A 5/16 lag bolt might be the ticket if you can find one short enough.
LMichaels
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Lag bolts are for wood not metal
Steve Hoch
TVWBB Diamond Member
I know, but they have nice, coarse threads that will bite into the metal of the holes he already drilled.
Steve Hoch
TVWBB Diamond Member
I don't see it, but I won't argue with you. Maybe just a regular 5/16 bolt will work if the holes are drilled out to a 1/4.
Samuel
TVWBB Wizard
Good news using the 1/4 in. bolt I bought today that was not getting any bite. I remembered that I had stainless steel star nuts. I was able to put them inside and thread the nut and secure the bolt. I will see the reveal in the morning for I have no daylight outside. I think I made good progress though.
Samuel
TVWBB Wizard
Here is Bruce's quote to me with his pics explaining the shelf repair process to me. Thanks Bruce.
Please everyone forgive my double postings, I just thought Bruce's explanation was more relevant in this thread.
"Samuel:
Just to be clear, are these the connections that you are talking about? (check photos below)
The problem is that the weld has broken on the bracket that goes into the side shelf. The existing bolt is still securing bracket inside the grill frame on the cook box side, but the spot weld on the shelf bracket is broken. So, you need to replace the spot weld. The way I would do that is to drill a hole right where you can see the spot weld was. Drill it all the way through the table support and the bracket inside. You need to ensure the support is aligned perfectly when you do this (maybe a slight bit upwards) so that once you secure it with a bolt, it will be level. The original bolt to the left allows a small amount of adjusting the alignment. You will need a self tapping bolt (Stainless of course) to match the hole size. I would go with a bolt that is the same size as the other bolts on the frame (1/4"). Then just install the bolt. You cant really just get a regular bolt and go straight through both sides of the frame, since that would put a bolt head on the outside of the frame and nut on the inside, as that would interfere with the table top. In the photo below, you can see where I suggest drilling. You will notice my grill is welded so, I didn't need to add the bolt. The welding also makes the original bolt on the left side of the weld unnecessary, but I just left it in anyway. You will need to keep that bolt to secure the table bracket."
Please everyone forgive my double postings, I just thought Bruce's explanation was more relevant in this thread.
"Samuel:
Just to be clear, are these the connections that you are talking about? (check photos below)
The problem is that the weld has broken on the bracket that goes into the side shelf. The existing bolt is still securing bracket inside the grill frame on the cook box side, but the spot weld on the shelf bracket is broken. So, you need to replace the spot weld. The way I would do that is to drill a hole right where you can see the spot weld was. Drill it all the way through the table support and the bracket inside. You need to ensure the support is aligned perfectly when you do this (maybe a slight bit upwards) so that once you secure it with a bolt, it will be level. The original bolt to the left allows a small amount of adjusting the alignment. You will need a self tapping bolt (Stainless of course) to match the hole size. I would go with a bolt that is the same size as the other bolts on the frame (1/4"). Then just install the bolt. You cant really just get a regular bolt and go straight through both sides of the frame, since that would put a bolt head on the outside of the frame and nut on the inside, as that would interfere with the table top. In the photo below, you can see where I suggest drilling. You will notice my grill is welded so, I didn't need to add the bolt. The welding also makes the original bolt on the left side of the weld unnecessary, but I just left it in anyway. You will need to keep that bolt to secure the table bracket."
Last edited:
